I am burned out! Researching is highly over rated...

A few months ago we made the decision to keep all three kids home from Preschool this upcoming year. We agonized over the decision. Who would have thought that a decision about preschool would be so hard, but it was. We had a list of reasons to keep them home. Everything from not wanting to deal with the amount of illness that our family had to deal with this last year, to not wanting to spend over $400 a month for all three kids to attend preschool (the kicker is they would be in different classes, so at no time would I ever be kid less). The list of negatives was far outweighing the list of positives. Yet, I still wanted them to attend, because I know they enjoyed it. Shortly before school let out we made our decision to keep them home. Once we came to that agreement I actually felt a huge relief. It felt good to have resolution on it.

About 2 weeks ago, panic set in. The reality of having three kids home with me for another full year made me panic... Its not that I don't love them, they are my world, but two 4 year olds and a 3 year old at your ankles all day long is a lot. I am quickly realizing this as summer drags on. I have come to the decision that the only way we are all going to survive this (no, not a glass of wine every night, o.k. maybe a glass of wine every night) is if I get us on a good homeschool schedule. I have been doing research, lots and lots of research. Did you know that you can burn out while doing research. Ya, I am there. I think I am leaning towards Alpha Omega Horizons program.. If any of you mommas out there have ever used it, I would love to hear from you. Or if you have used another program that worked well for your family I would love to hear from you.

Our plan is not to Homeschool once they hit Kindergarten. We have already put in our petition paperwork for the school we want them to attend. If for some reason they do not get in, well then we will be looking at homeschooling full time. Which is why I want to set them up now with a good program, just in case we end up sticking with it. That will require a nightly glass of wine, guaranteed.

Nobody wants to do a Monday 2 days in a row!

Trying to let it go, but obviously have not. If I could of had a do over yesterday, I would have. Although yesterday was Monday and nobody wants a Monday do over. That's just crazy, let it go and move on to Tuesday. What are the chances we will have two bad days in a row, right? O.K. in this crazy house it could happen. I am just going to chalk it up to crazy atmosphericall changes that had my children (ugh, I will admit, and myself) acting like turds. OK, I don't use that word lightly, its a pretty ugly word, but that is what we had going on over here at my home.

We have clearly emerged into the sibling love / hate territory... One minute they are hugging it out, and then I swear to you the next moment they are pulling the chairs out from under each other. The hot and cold mood swings around here are leaving this only child wondering how she is going to survive the next 16 years!! When we mentioned it to the Therapist (fearing that we were raising angry little kids) she laughed and asked if either of us had siblings. When we said no, she was quick to inform us that sibling tension (to put it nicely) is the next closest thing to murder. It was in that moment that we both released a stress laugh... We were reassured that all siblings go through this, but stressed because neither of us have experienced it.

So back to yesterday amidst the yelling and pushing and growling and crying and tattling, and... I am just going to stop right there because I think you get the point. I decided to pull out a craft that the kids were doing for someones upcoming Birthday (yes hubs, yours). It was a disaster, spilled paint all over the driveway, tantrums of the paint brushes not working (I still have yet to figure out how exactly a paint brush doesn't work) but let me tell you when it doesn't, it results in feet stomping, crying, and a paint brush flying through the air. Shortly after our craft disaster I mean adventure we had lunch which nobody enjoyed, and actually all complained about.. Its amazing how in the Grocery Store they just HAVE to HAVE specific food items. You get it home and make it, and all of a sudden its disgusting. At this point Mommy was so over it... So off to nap time they went...

If only my day could have ended there... But noooo my kids decided to dump every toy bin in their room, remove every book from their bookshelves, remove the bedding from their beds, and disassemble a doll house. We then spent the remainder of the day in clean up mode. If you have never spent more than 3 hours in clean up mode with your kids it is one of the most painful events you will ever endure. I refuse to put their stuff away which means I supervise, which also means everything I want to get done comes to a screeching stop. It was brutal, and yes by the end I was Bitter... I wanted a do over, but I am glad I was not granted one because nobody wants to do a Monday 2 days in a row!